Spinner type ball game



March 27, 1951 o. L. oLsoN 2,546.7?5

SPINNER TYPE BALL GAME Filed NOV. 5, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i 4NI (18 [n1/en for -Zz'i/Qr L. Olson Eff/www 17H10 rneg MaNh 27, 1951 o. L. oLsoN SPINNER TYPE: BALL GAME 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 5, 1946 3mm/m Clit/e1 L. U 160m j www Patented Mar. 27, 1951 UNITEDl `STATES PATENT *OFFICE SPINN ER TYPE BALL GAME Oliver L. Olson, Camas, Wash.

Application November 5, 1946, Serial No. 707,934

3 Claims.

The vpresent invention relates to a game of skill played on a stationary board provided with a plurality of pockets of different numerical values and around which a ball is sent spinning until centrifugal force is overcome by force of gravity thereby d ropping the ball in one of the pockets.

The present application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 649,865 which matured in Patent No. 2,487,363 of November 8, 1949 and the present invention is directed to the means for firing the ball against the arm of the spinner which carries the ball around the board.

The winning of the game depends on the skill "of the player in judging the amount of tension that he has to give the firing spring of the gun for reaching a high numbered pocket and this skill can only be gained by considerable practice.

The main difference between this invention and that of my above named patent resides in the mounting and construction of the gun and the adjacent ball carrier box, and the simplification in general, as for instance an inclined floor instead of the tilting bottom of said box as Well as other simplifications.

In the accompanying drawings like numerals relate to the same details in the different views.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a game board in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 a vertical section along line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fractional, horizontal section thru the gun and the ball carrier box;

Figure 4 is a vertical section along line 4 4 y,

of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the ball ring gun :and its mounting on the game board.

Figure 6 is a top plan View similar to Figure 1 of a simplied form of my invention, which is more suitable as a childs toy, wherein the spinner or ball carrier is mounted on top of the table instead of below the same;

Figure 7 is an axial vertical section along line 1-1 of Figure 6 of the firing gun and the box of the spinner;

Figure 8 is an axial section along line 8-8 of Figure 6 of the spinner.

Referring rst to Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings the numeral IB generally designates a staytionary rectangular board which forms the body lory main structure of the device. This body has the top surface suitably designed to provide a top border strip I I which extends along each side pf ,the board vand has laid outtherein, a plurality of pin holes KI2 in which may be placed the tapered score keeping pins I3. Each corner of the play area is provided with a players number, designated I4, and a corner pocket I5 in which the scoring pins may be kept.

In the center of the play board is formed the circular well I1, having a floor designated I8.

Secured upon the floor I8 at the center of the well is a xed pivot post I9 Which is here shown secured-by the screws 29.

Resting upon the top of the post I9 is a circular table 2| which is secured to the post against movement by the use of screws 22. This table is of an overall diameter materially less than that of the well I1 so that there is provided the circular -clearance space 23 for the purpose de-Y scribed. Y v

In the top surface ofthe stationary circular table '2l lare formed a plurality of pockets 24 each of which is marked with a numeral value so that the score made by each player is determined by the sum of the numbers in-the pockets 24, into which'the play ball 34 is discharged from a rotating carrier. This sum is totaled upon the players score strip I I by means of the score pins I3.

The numeral 25 generally designates a spinner comprising a hub member 26 which is rotatably mounted upon the Vertical fixed pivot post I9, and has two diametrically oppositely directed arms 21 and 21a of which 2'1 terminates in the shank 28 vwhich projectsupwardly through the circular space 23 and Aabove the top surface of the board and table. The arm 21a is shorter but weighted atA the end as at 28a to counterbalance the long'arm 21 Suitable antifriction elements 29a are provided around the pivot post I9 for engagement by the spinner hub 26, so that the spinner may rotate with a minimum Aof friction.

Supported upon the top of the shank 28 to be rotated with the spinner arm 21 around the table, is a play ball box or carrier which is generally designed 29. This box is of rectangular form as shown and comprises the top and bottom walls 30' and'3l respectively.

y This bottom wall `3| is riveted or in any other manner secured to the shank 28 of the long -spinner arm 21 above the surface of the table and the pockets 24. The box has a small opening 33 in its rear wall 32 serving as entrance for a play ball 34 sent bythe gun 42 into the carrier box. This box has. a delivery spout 35 directed radially inwardly over the ball pockets 24 and the iloor or bottomv 3l' is slightly inclined downwardly as at 36 in a diagonal direction across the length of the box towards the spout 35.

Directly behind the carrier box v29 and -with its muzzle registering with the entrance opening 33, a gun 42 is mounted on the game board l0. The axis of the gun barrel is tangential to the arc X of the direction of travel of the carrier box 29 with the ball 34. The gun y42, which is a muzzle loader, has a bore 44 which in the rear part, contains a piston or plunger 43 surrounded by a compression spring 45 acting between the plunger head 43a and the breech closure 42a. The outer end of the plunger 43 is provided with a handle or knob 43h. The gun bore 44 is smaller at the muzzle end, as indicated at 44a, forming a shoulder against which the plunger head 43a abuts actuated by the spring 45. The round ball 34 is inserted in the bore 44a from the muzzle end of the gun.

'I'he operation of this device is the following:

. The player, after loading the gun with a ball 34 first ascertains that the box 29 is turned back to contact with the gun muzzle, so that the entrance opening 33 coincides `with the bore 44d,

wherein the ball 3a has been deposited. By now pulling back the knob 43h with the plunger 43,

thus compressing the spring 45, and then quickly releasing the knob, the plunger 43, hitting the ball 34 will send the same forward thru the entrance opening 33 to strike the forward or impact Wall 33 of the box 29, the impact sending it spinning on its pivot I9. The centrifugal force resulting from the spinning will hold the ball 34 against the fixed outer wall of box 29 until the movement of the arm is reduced below a certain speed. As soon as the revolving speed of the box diminishes, and gravity overcomes the centrifugal force, the ball 34 will roll down the inclined bottom into the spout 35, which will immediately deliver the ball 34 into one of the pockets 24, immediately below, thus making the score marked in such pocket. The gun may thereupon be reloaded and the box 29 returned to tiring position. Since the gun muzzle, in order to contact with the carrier box on firing, must overhang the circular path, the carrier with the ball 34 could consequently not make a full turn., To overcome this the gun 42 may be pivoted as at 4i with its vertical trunnion engaging in a bearing outside of said path. It will then be possible to swing the gun out of the way of the carrier directly afterl ring the gun. Y

The term ball" used herein is meant to include other missiles than spherical ones,'suitable for use in this game. y

The. simplified form of the invention used as a toy for children is shown in Figures 6, 7', and 8. As described in connection with Figure 1 of the drawings the game board or table B, is here illustrated as of square shape and the top of the board is provided with a plurality of shallow pockets 5f arranged -a circle in the middle of the table, each pocket being marked with a numeral value. The value of the pocket into which vthe ball drops upon completion of each spin of the arm is noted by thel player andy added to his total score.

In the center of this circle is mountedto' rof Outside of the periphery of the circle of pockets 5I and tangentially thereto a spring actuated gun 60 is secured on top of the table `5|) so that the muzzle of its bore 6| registers with an aperture 62 in the adjacent wall of the hollow box 56. The diameter of said bore and aperture I32 is only slightly larger than the play ball 63, which can be fed into the gun bore thru the upwardly open spout 64 thereof in front of a plunger 65 around which is wound a helical spring '66 between a rear bushing yEl in the bore and a collar 68 xed on the front of plunger 65. This collar abuts against a partition 69 fixed in the bore 6| of the gun. To fire the ball 63 from the position of rest in Figure '7, the plunger 65 is retracted by a pull on its head 'Ill so as to cock the spring. Upon releasing the head l0, the plunger 65 will then ily forward to strike the ball 63 and send the same thru the aperture 32 so that the ball will hit the opposite wall 'H of the box 56. The impact` of the ball upon the Wall Il will then cause the spinner 52 to rotate around its spindle y53. As long as the centrifugal force, created by this action, is maintained, the spinner 52 will travel over the circle of the pockets 3l, but as soon as gravity overcomes the centrifugal force, the ball 63 will roll down to the hole 'i3 in the box 56'. The ball will then drop down into that one of the pockets 5i which at the time is located iinmediately below the hole 13. In order to aid the rolling oi ball 63 across the box 56, the floor I4 may have a slight slope towards the hole 13.

supposing now that each. player of the game is given a certain number of balls to play, he then loads the gun and lires it so that the ball strikes the opposite wall in box 56 and the same starts rotating and nnally stops over a pocket marked e ior instance. He then reloads the gun with the same result to send the arm around until it stops over a pocket marked 5, and the third ball in the same manner is deposited in a pocket marked s, his total score of these three shots added up or 6+5+9 will be 20. The' next player has the same number of balls and notes the markings on the pockets which add up te another amount which will make his score.

It is to be understood that the invention as herein disclosed may be varied from the details described and shown within the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

l. A game played with balls comprising a flat tabl-e provided with a series of shallow pockets arranged in a circle on top thereof and marked with different numerical values, a balanced spinner having a radial arm with a ball housing above said pockets, a pivot for said spinner on said table in the center of the circle and means for starting the spinner revolving with said housing around the circle; said housing having a rear wall with an entry opening for a ball and a slanting bottom with. an exit opening; said starting means comprising a spring actuated gun mounted on top of' said table' with its axis substantially tangential to said circle and its muzzle registering with the entry opening in the ball housing, a vertical loading opening for said'. ball on top of the gun adjacent to the muzzler and a plunger in the bore of the gun surrounded by a heiical spring for actuating the plunger to' project the ball into said housing when the plunger has been cocked; the impact of the ball' against the iront wall of' the housing thereby setting the spinner revolving until the ball therein, actuated by gravity, passes out thru the delivery opening into one of said pockets, the number of said pocket denoting the value of the stroke.

2. In a game of the character described in combination with a stationary game board provided with a circular series of game piece receiving pockets, a spinner member carried on the board for rotation concentrically with the circular series of pockets, the spinner member including a box for carrying a play ball, the box having a ball admission opening through which a ball may be admitted in a direction tangent to the circular path followed by the box in the operation of the spinner member and a ball outlet opening positioned to discharge downwardly into an underlying pocket, the box having a solid impact wall opposite to the said admission opening and a bottom wall sloping from the impact wall to the discharge opening, and a projector mounted adjacent to the outer side of the circular series of pockets for projecting a 20 ball play piece into the admission opening toward and for driving impact against' said impact wall 6 whereby to effect the spinning movement of the spinner member. C

3.l A game of the character described in claim 2 wherein the said ball projector comprises a barrel having a spring projected plunger thereinand the mounting comprises'f means pivotally supporting the barrel on said board to permit bringing the muzzle end. of the barrel into line with said ball admission opening and the movement of the barrel out of the path of travel of the box.

OLIVER L. OLSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofv record in the file' of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

